


25 Years Later

by Plumetta



Series: Baby makes Three [7]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-16
Updated: 2014-03-16
Packaged: 2018-01-15 21:59:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1320655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Plumetta/pseuds/Plumetta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's 25 years after the Revolution and Peeta asks Haymitch for advice on child rearing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	25 Years Later

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own anything the universe belongs to Suzanne Collins.

Peeta knocked on Haymitch’s door. Effie answered.

“Hi Peeta. How are you? 

He sighed. “Not great. This 25th Anniversary stuff is stirring up a lot.

Effie hugged him. ‘I bet. Do you want to talk to Haymitch?

“Yeah. 

“He’s in the living room waiting up for Hailey to get home from her date.

Peeta laughed. “He’s letting her date?

“She’ll be seventeen next month. He delayed it as long as he could.

“Who is she going out with?

“Mitchell. His mother owns the fabric store. Hailey’s passion for fashion gave her easy access to him.

“Haymitch must be going crazy. I don’t even want to imagine Petra dating.

Effie laughed. “Fathers and daughters. You do know the women you married were some other man’s little princess. He’s hoping she’ll be late so he can ground her. I set her watch ten minutes fast to give her a fighting chance.

“Traitor.” Peeta said.

“Yeah, well Katniss will be doing the same thing before you know it.

“My daughter is only ten. I’m on Haymitch’s side. “Is he….sober?

“Pretty much. He’s had a few drinks but he’s certainly clear.

Peeta nodded. “Thanks.

Peeta went into the living room. “So…..Effie and Hailey won.

Haymitch laughed. “Don’t even start. This will be you soon enough. 

“By that time you could be a Grandpa.

Haymitch shuddered “Don’t put that image in my head. Hailey’s never going to have sex.

“Never?

“Peeta don’t shatter my fantasy. My week’s been bad enough. I have to go to the Capitol for this anniversary nonsense.

“Me too. They also want Katniss to come, after all these years.

‘Is she going?

“She’s not sure but that’s not really why I’m here.

“You have other problems? Haymitch said incredulously.

Peeta smiled. “Yeah……uh Petra.

“What’s wrong with Petra?

“The last few days she’s been angry, moody, acting out.”

“She’s ten.” Haymitch said. “Maybe she’s becoming a woman.”

Peeta shrugged. “Maybe….I hope you’re right. I’m afraid she might have seen or heard something about…..back then that we didn’t tell her.

“What haven’t you told her?” Haymitch asked.

“She knows what The Hunger Games were. She knows that we were in them twice and killed people and she knows we were part of the revolution.

“Seems like you covered the highlights.”

“Yeah, but I saw a show talking about how different the world would be if Katniss hadn’t “murdered” President Coin. “That was the word they used “murdered”.

Haymitch nodded. “Yeah, I watched that show with Hailey, it was bullshit and I told Hailey as much. I also told her my “official” vote was yes for a Capitol Hunger Games so she didn’t hear that anywhere else.

Peeta’s jaw dropped. “I didn’t’ even think of that. We’re going to have to…….

“Peeta….she’s only ten. You shouldn’t lie but you can’t overwhelm her with stuff. You have to stay age appropriate.

“Age appropriate? I remember Hailey knowing about The Hunger Games when she was five years old.

“Peeta, people talked about them a lot more back then. “She was also hiding food under her bed because she was afraid of being reaped for the “Hungry Games.” She never “saw” a game until she was fourteen years old.

Peeta was horrified. “You made her watch a game? 

Haymitch frowned. ‘Yes. I watched it with her.

“Yours?

“God, no. 65th Games. Finnick Odair.

“Why?

“Because that was the first year Effie was my Escort. I felt she should see her parents on a podium during a reaping. The Games weren’t real for her and…….it certainly made them real.

Peeta held his head in his hands. “I don’t think I could ever do that with Petra or Garrison.”

Peeta, I’m not father of the year.

Peeta chewed his lip. “Hailey is a great kid and very well adjusted. I hope my kids turn out as good.

“You can thank her mother. Haymitch said.

“You had something to do with it. Look the reason I came over is…..Petra won’t talk to me or her mother. I was going to ask if Hailey could babysit and….

“Spy for you? Haymitch asked.

“You make it sound so bad.”

Haymitch laughed. “No……Hailey confided in Annie Cresta’s son once when he was visiting. I overheard them. It seemed to help her a lot. I think she’d be willing to be a “big sister” to Petra. Besides anything to keep her going out with Mitchell again this week.

“Daddy’s jealous.” Peeta said.

“Look at your future Kid. It’s closer then you think. But listen if Petra confides in Hailey you can’t interrogate the kid five minutes later. She’ll never trust Hailey again and it’s hard to be a Victor’s Kid.

“Then what do I do?

“Hailey will tell you if there’s anything serious bothering Petra. You can judge from there what you need to tell her. I’ll make sure Hailey doesn’t “volunteer” any information about you and Katniss but she will confirm….public record.

“I hate this. Peeta said. “When do our lives become normal?

Haymitch patted him on the shoulder. “That disappeared the moment our names were called in a reaping. Haymitch turned his head as if he heard something, looked at the clock and said. “Damn, my daughter made curfew. A few seconds later they heard Hailey. “Dad, I’m home.”

“Hailey, come in here. Your Uncle Peeta wants to talk to you about something.”


End file.
